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UWF Cyber Club takes home top honors at CyberThon 2017

University of West Florida Cyber Club wins placed first in the college division this past weekend in CyberThon 2017, the third annual cybersecurity challenge event hosted by the AFCEA Blue Angels Pensacola Challenge at Naval Air Station Pensacola Nat

UWF Cyber Club takes home top honors at CyberThon 2017

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Joseph Ivey, 18, concentrates on his computer monitor as he prepares for the 2017 CyberThon along with his Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter teammates at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola on Wedneday, January 18, 2017.
Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com

Samuel Vinyard, 17, right, prepares for the 2017 CyberThon along with his Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter teammates at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola on Wedneday, January 18, 2017.
Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com

Kayla Payne, 16, left, and Autumn Hall, 17, prepare for the 2017 CyberThon along with their Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter teammates at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola on Wedneday, January 18, 2017.
Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com

Autumn Hall, 17, left, and Kayla Payne, 16, prepare for the 2017 CyberThon along with their Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter teammates at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola on Wedneday, January 18, 2017.
Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com

Justin Williams, 15, prepares for the 2017 CyberThon along with his Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter teammates at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola on Wedneday, January 18, 2017.
Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com

Annessa Williams, 14, left, and Josiah Robinson, 16, prepare for the 2017 CyberThon along with their Blue Angels Pensacola Chapter teammates at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola on Wedneday, January 18, 2017.
Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com

The University of West Florida Cyber Club took home top honors during last weekend's CyberThon 2017.

The Cyber Club won the college division of the the third annual cybersecurity challenge event hosted by the AFCEA Blue Angels Pensacola Challenge at Pensacola Naval Air Station National Flight Academy. CyberThon is a community event designed to give high school and college students hands-on experience in cyber defense and engagement procedures with mentoring from cybersecurity experts.

Teams scored points by answering a series of questions crafted by cybersecurity experts from government, military and industry. The questions covered cybersecurity, network monitoring, cryptography and steganography in a simulated online financial system designed by Navy Federal Credit Union.

A total of 141 students ranging from elementary school to college participated in the two-day competition. It was the largest competition to date, an increase from 18 students participating in the inaugural challenge in 2015 and 81 in 2016.

“Competitions such as CyberThon provide valuable experiences that help prepare students for future careers in cybersecurity, including hands-on practice and opportunities to network with experts in the field,” said Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, director of the UWF Center for Cybersecurity. “They also help expand interest in cybersecurity careers.”